Life Behind Barbed Wire

3. THE VOYAGE TO THE MAINLAND

66 3 THE VOYAGE TO THE MAINLAND W E REMAINED in port for one night before leaving Honolulu on the SS Matsonia at 2:30 on the afternoon of the seventh. The commander in charge of our transportation was Colonel Craig and our spokesman was the Reverend Keizo Miura, a Nisei. Both proved to be responsible and efficient. I understand that the treatment of internees and conditions on board for the first four groups were more or less the same. By the time our group boarded, however, things were more relaxed. We could use the toilets and showers freely—although the water coming through the showerhead was salt water. We were also allowed to walk and smoke on deck for half an hour in the morning and in the afternoon. We were given strict orders to wear a life jacket whenever we went to the dining room or up on deck. To guard against an attack by a Japanese submarine, several cruisers guarded the convoy, and our ship avoided a straight course, zigzagging through the water. As one who had received a letter from Lieutenant General Emmons notifying me of my internment in the event of war, I had been prepared. I thought if I was going to be interned, I would prefer to be on the Mainland . Anyway, I was fed up with the tedious and shabby living conditions at Sand Island. Now that I was actually being sent away, however, I began to doubt if I would ever return home to Hawaii or see my loving family again. I cannot express the feelings I had at the time here in writing. All my friends aboard ship must have felt the same. Fortunately the sea was as calm as a lake. This was my third voyage to the Mainland, and I had never before experienced such a serene passage. Even if we had tried to become seasick, we could not. Mr. Ryukei Maeda was the exception, and Mr. Nekketsu Takei, who practiced ki health exercises , could not muster his usual energy. the voyage to the mainland 67 Fresh greens and fruits were served with our meals, and having gone without tea for so long, I found the iced tea delicious. The youthful exuberance of the several dozen mainland MPs was annoying, but there was no prejudice against us. By chance I became friendly with the youngest of them, a handsome soldier from New Jersey. He seemed to favor me and even gave me some novels in English. As the days passed the MPs became more sociable and began joining us for card games with no compunction, an attitude that can be traced to the reduced level of war hysteria and the commendable openhearted nature of Americans. (The Immigration Office MPs at the start of the war had looked as menacing as goblins from hell. At my inquiry in January the following year, however, these same MPs looked completely different, almost gentle. In just two months, circumstances had changed the face of our captors.) While walking on deck one morning, I met an old acquaintance, the Reverend Robert Spencer, who was born in Fukuoka. He was wearing the uniform of an army colonel. Rev. Spencer was surprised to see me, and we talked about many things, including his reason for being on the ship. He would only say that he was on his way to the East Coast to teach Japanese to military personnel. He did not mention the circumstances. That Sunday , August 9, he came below to see us and delivered a sermon in Japanese entitled “The Grace of Suffering.” In it he cited the example of Mr. Taro Uchiyama, a patient with a unique skin disease that had forced him to spend many years in a special bath at Fukuoka University Hospital. The story deeply affected us because of our own situation. The Reverend Spencer concluded with words of comfort and encouragement. Those who had never heard him speak were amazed at the fluency of his Japanese. Graffiti at Angel Island The ship headed north and in three days the air grew colder. I often overheard the conversation among the MPs, who swore after every word. I was surprised to hear “goddamn” or “Jesus Christ” used continuously . The only two who did not swear were the amiable young man from New Jersey and his friend. I asked Rev. Spencer to cable my family after he reached San Francisco . He said the commander would not permit...